Estonia: Icebreaker EVA-316 has assisted ships 14 times off Parnu

TALLINN - EVA-316, the multipurpose vessel of the Estonian Maritime Administration that has been breaking ice on ship routes to the southwestern port of Parnu since Jan. 18 has assisted ships on 14 occasions, spending 23,500 liters of fuel in the process.

The ice limit extends about 14 miles to the southwest of the breakwaters of Parnu, spokespeople for the Maritime Administration told BNS on Monday. The thickness of the ice is 4-15 centimeters and the outer 3.5 miles of the icebound area consists of heavily packed ice which no vessel can go through without the icebreaker's assistance.

Starting from Jan. 28, all ships entering and leaving the port of Parnu with the assistance of the icebreaker are required to have ice class 1C according to Lloyd's register or an equivalent ice class assigned by other classification societies and main engine output of not less than 1,600 kilowatts.